Rotary snap switch



May 17, 1932.' R PQPP ROTARY SNAP SWITCH Filed Feb. 17. 1930 Patented May I7, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUDOLF POPP, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MCGILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F VALPARAISO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION 0F INDIANA.

ROTARY SNAP SWITCH Application led February 17, 1930. Serial No. 429,025.

My invention relates to electrical switches and more particularly to that type wherein a rotary bridging contact is adapted to make and break circuit between one or more stationary contacts which may be connected to electrical circuits.

The principal purpose of this invention is to provide in a switch of this character a novel rotary bridging contact assembly.

It is also a purpose of this invention to provide in a switch of this character a novel means for mounting the switch upon a suitable support.

My invention also contemplates the provision of a novel connection between the rotary bridging member and au operating device such as a rotatable knob which is particularly adaptable to the application of an indicating device indicating the position of the switch.

Certain other features disclosed in the present application are not claimed herein as they are more particularly claimed in another application or multiple circuit controlling switch, Serial No. 429,024, filed February 17, 1930.

I will describe one form which the invention may take by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein- Fig. 1 is a horizontal section taken innuediately beneath the top plate of the switch substantially on the'line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing;r the switch mounted in position upon a suitable support;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3--3 ot Fig. 1 with the top in place;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view with the securing elements of the switch removed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a slightly modified form of securing means for securing the switch to a fixture or the like.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, this switch is made up of upper and lower insulating frame members 6 and 7 which frame members are connected by means of a plurality of spacing members such as indicated at 8, 9, and 1() on the oneside and 11, 12, and 13 on the other side. These spacing members are made of conducting material and, as shown more clearly by Figs. 1 and 3, are provided with shoulders and end extensions such as 14 which extensions pass through the insulating members 6 and 7 and are upset therein so as to hold the insulating frame members in position. The spacing members are preferably provided with wiring terminal connectors such as screws 15 and 16 which may be provided on all or on part of the spacing members. The spacing members are all substantially duplicates and preferably all provided with screw-threaded apertures to receive the wiring terminal screws.

A series of spring contacts such as 18, 19,

20, 21, 22, and 23 are clamped between the` shoulders on the spacing members and the insulating trame member 7. It is obvious, of course, that if desired one or more of these spring contacts may be left o' if found to be unnecessary. The structure of these contacts is such that the contacting surface indicated at 24 is free to yield away from the contacting member in two directions; that is to say,

' it may move directly outward away fmrom the bridging contact and at the same time twist about an axis substantially parallel to the spacing member to which the spring contact is secured. This result is accomplished by bending the spring contact member into substantially U-shape as shown in Fig. 3 with the one leg 25 being secured to the portion 26 that is clamped-between the spacing member and the frame member 7, the other leg 27 being the one which has the contacting face 24 at its extremity. This type of contact permits a wide swinging movement without any sharp bending owing to the fact that the legs 25 and 27 may be made almost as long as the distance between the members 6 and 7.

The twist`action of the spring contacts is `obtained by o'setting the legs in the plane of the material as indicated at 28 on the leg and at 29 on the leg 27, so that the base ing end thereof.

The lbridging contact member is mounted on a spindle 30 which spindle is rotatably mounted as at 31 and 32 in the frame members 6 and 7, and thisfspindle has a pair of squared sections one of which is indicated at 33 and the other at 34, these squared sections being separated by a reduced rounded portion at 35. The bridging contact is similar to vthat shown in my copending application above referred to and consists of the carrier 36 referably made of insulating material having the metallic bridging member 37 secured thereon with the contacting faces 38 and 39 bent down over certain of the ratchet faces formed on the member 36 so that, when these ratchet faces engage with the spring contacts, I'electrical circuit will be established betweenl the two contacts in engagement therewith. The member 36 has on opposite sides thereof the insulating washers 40 and 41 which serve to space this bridging member from the frame member 7 and to protect it at the top. Thel washers andthe member 36 are held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by means of a spring wire clip 42 which slips over thereduced portion 35 of the spindle in the manner shown most clearly in Fig. 1.

Now in order to mount the switch on a suitable support, I secure thereto a metallic mounting member or plate 43 by means of the rivets such as shown by 44 and 45. This plate 43 is provided with screw-threaded apertures at 46 and 47 for the reception of the mounting screws 48 and 49. The top frame member 6 also has apertures aligning withy the apertures 46 and 47 so that the screws 48 and 49 may pass through this frame member and extend down between the two frame members of the switch.

From an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, it will be clear that these screws 48 and 49 have a clear path through the switch frame with out any danger of coming in contact with any of the circuit controlling elements, as they are spaced substantially between the two groups of stationary contacts and lie outside the path of the movable bridging member. This makes it possible to secure the switch to supporting walls such as indicated at 50 of various thicknesses without making any changes whatsoever in the equipment necessary to mount the switch, for, if the screws .48 and 49 are longer than necessary, they will not injure anything by bridging into the switch frame; and, with the amount of adjustment equal to the distance from the plate 43 to the frame member 7, it is possible to take care of any normally expected thickness of supporting wall 50 with one length of screw.

The spindle 30 is also constructed so as to permit of this variation in supporting wall thickness by having an extended stem 51 screw-threaded throughout substantiall its entire length to receive the operating ob 52 which has an interiorly screw-threaded shank '53. An indicating disk or plate 54 may be held in place by means of the mounting screws 48 and 49 as shown in Fig. 2, and a suitable indicating device 55 may be formed or mounted on the operatin knob 52, so that the position of the switc at any time is readily indicated.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a slightl different form of mounting for the switc which, however, is not so good as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. In this form of mounting, the frame member 6 carries a projecting sere threaded sleeve 56 havin the securing nuts 57 'and 58 adapted to c amp the supporting wall therebetween, and the stem of the spindle projects upwardly through the sleeve 56 to screw-threadedly receive a corresponding stem 53 on the operating knob 54.

From the above description, it is thought that the construction and operation of this device will be clear to those skilled inthis art; and, havin thus described my invention, what cure by Letters Patent is:

1. A switch of the character described in cluding spaced frame members of insulating material, opposed groups of spacing inembers of conducting material holding said frame members in s aced relation, certain of said spacing mem ers having wirin terminals and stationary contacts connecte therewith, and securing means for mountin said switch on a support mounted between t e groups of spacing members, said securing means including a bar rigidly mounted on one of said frame members and mounting screws screwthreaded into said bar.

2. A. switch of the character described inf cluding spaced frame members of insulating material, op osed groups of s acing members of con ucting material holding' said frame members in spaced relation, certain of said spacing members having wiring terminals and stationary contactsconnected therewith, and securing means for mounting said switch on a support mounted between the groups of spacing members, said securing means including a bar rigidly mounted on one of said frame members and mounting screws screw-threaded into said bar, said last named frame member having apertures permitting the screws to pass therethrough.

3. A switch having spaced frame members, connecting and. terminal members interposed between said frame members, stationary contacts connected to said terminal members at one of said frame members, said 9. I claim as new and desire to seno I RUDOLF PGPP. 

